Golf bag bottom having venting openings



March 5, 1968 J. P. MURRAY, JR

GOLF BAG BOTTOM HAVING VENTING OPENINGS F'iled June lO, 1966 INVENTOR.///l/ Mai/ML J1?,

United States Patent Giiice 3,371,898 Patented Mar. 5, 1968 3,371,898GOLF BAG BOTTOM HAVING VENTING OPENINGS John P. Murray, Jr., Princeton,NJ., assignor to Atlantic Products Corporation, Trenton, NJ., acorporation of New Jersey Filed June 10, 1966, Ser. No. 556,662 Claims.(Cl. 248-96) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A golf lbag bottom h-as a curvedbottom with reinforcing ribs extending across the curved bottom. Ventingopenings are placed in the lowermost point of the curved bottom to drainwater from the bag and permit air into the bag. The bottom has agenerally rectangular conguration and rectangular walls extendingupwardly fro-m the periphery of the bottom.

This invention relates to golf bags, and more specically relates to anovel construction for a ventilated golf bag bottom.

It is well known in the art that it is desirable to provide vent meansin the bottom of a golf bag which permits the draining of watertherefrom and permits the circulation of air in the bag to preventmildew, and the like. Devices for this purpose are described, forexample, in U.S. Patent 2,867,257 to Theodore Cart, assigned to theassignee of the present invention.

The present invention is for a novel golf bag bottom constructionproviding such vents in a novel manner and which has improved stabilitywhen standing the bag on uneven or rocky ground by virtue of extendingribs which go across the full bottom surface. The novel bottom then hasdownwardly curved corner sections of the bag which terminate at thecorner edges in a plane which includes the plane of the straight ridgesto provide additional points of support for the bag. These downwardlyturned corner sections reach the lowermost points of the bag bottom,and, in accordance with the invention, receive drain openings fordraining accumulated water from the bag and to provide access ofcirculating air to the bag interior.

Accordingly, a primary object of this invention is to provide a novelvented golf bag bottom structure which improves the mechanical stabilityof the bag when the bag stands on a surface.

Another object of this invention is to provide a novel golf bag bottomconfiguration which provides low points at the bag corners which receiveair and water vents where these low points further serve as supportpoints for standing the bag with improved stability.

Yet another object of this invention is to provide a novel bag bottomstructure which can be molded of commonly available plastic materials asa unitary structure.

These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from thefollowing description when taken in connection with the drawings, inwhich:

FIGURE 1 shows a side plan view of a golf bag structure having the novelgolf bag bottom of the invention sewn or otherwise secured to the bottomthereof.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom view of the golf bag bottom structure.

FIGURE 3 is a side plan View of the golf bag bottom structure.

FIGURE 4 is a top view of the golf bag bottom structure.

FIGURE 5 is a cross-sectional View of FIGURE 2 taken across the line 5 5in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 6 is a cross-sectional view of FIGURE 2 taken across the line 6 6in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 7 is a crosssectional view of FIGURE 2 taken across the line 7 7in FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 8 is a cross-sectional View of FIGURE 2 taken across the line 8 8in FIGURE 2.

Referring lirst to FIGURE 1, there is illustrated therein, in apartially schematic fashion, a golf bag body tube 10 which will have anopen top 11 for the reception of golf clubs and a closed bottom 12 whichis constructed in accordance with the invention. The golf bag bottom 12can be connected to the golf bag body 10 as by sewing along the stitchline 13, or in any other desired manner.

The novel golf bag bottom structure of the invention is best understoodby reference to FIGURES 2 through 8 which show the bottom structure 12as comprised of a generally dish-shaped structure which completes thebottom surface of the golf bag 10. The bottom is preferably formed as aunitary member, and can bel injection molded or otherwise suitablyformed of moldable rubber or any of the desired available plastics suchas polyvinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, polyethylene, or the like whichcan have any desired color.

In accordance with the invention, the golf` bag bottom is comprised ofan enclosing side wall section 13 and a bottom panel 14. The bottompanel 14, rather than being tiat, is defined yby four outwardly curvedregions extending upwardly from its four sides toward the central regionof the bottom structure 14. That is to say, in a section on the lines 66 and 7 7 in FIGURE 2, the bottom will extend across straight lines,shown as straight lines 15 and 16, in FIGURES `6 and 7, respectively.From these straight lines 15 and 16, however, the bottom surface curvesoutwardly toward the side walls of the bottom member.

Thus, in FIGURE 8, when the bottom panel 14 is viewed in section at theouter edge of bottom panel 14, it will have the arcuate shape 17, asshown in FIGURE 8.

Similarly, if the bottom curvature is viewed along the diagonal line 5 5in FIGURE 2, a similar arcuate shape will be found extending from thecorners of the structure.

The consequence of this novel shape, which is hereinafter defined as apositive curvature extending from the sides of the bottom panel 14 andmerging into the center portion of the bottom panel 14, will define fourlowermost interior regions at the interior corners of the bottom 12,shown as lowermost corner regions 18, 19, 20 and 21 in FIGURE 4.

More generally, however, the entire bottom panel could also take theforni of a generally convex panel curving upwardly from its peripherywhich is joined to an enclosing side wall.

FIGURE 5 shows the lower corner regions 21 and 19, while FIGURE 8 showsthe corner regions 21 and 18.

Because of this configuration, it will be apparent that any wateraccumulaitng in the bottom member 12 will flow into these interiorcorner regions 18 through 21 of the gures.

In accordance with the rst feature of the invention, drain openings 22through 25 are placed directly through the bottom panel 14 in theselower interior corner regions 18 through. 21, respectively, thereby topermit draining of any accumulated water from the bag and to permitaccess of circulating air to the interior of the bag.

As a further feature of the invention, a plurality of straight extending`rib members extend down from the bottom of bottom panel 14 andterminate in a plane which includes the outer bottoms of the corners 18through 21. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 2, there is provided a longitudinalextending rib 30 and two transversely extending ribs 31 and 32 whichextend from bottom 14 and ter-minate in the plane which includes theouter bottoms of corners 18 through 21. It should be noted that the ribs30, 31 and 32 are integral with bottom 14l.

This novel arrangement of ribs and corner members then cooperates toform an extremely stable support surface even on uneven ground ascontrasted to the prior use of individual legs extending from a circularbottom. That is to say, there is a greater likelihood, with thearrangement of the present invention, that a plurality of coplanarpoints defined along ribs 30, 31, 32 and corners 18 through 21 willcontact the ground, thereby imparting stability to the bag.

In addition, since the corners 13 through 21 bend downwardly, thesupport base for the bag will be over its maximum area, thereby tofurther enhance the stability of the arrangement.

Although this invention has been described with respect to its preferredembodiments, it should be understood that many variations andmodifications will now be obvious to those skilled in the art, and it ispreferred, therefore, that the scope of the invention be limited not bythe specific disclosure herein, but only by the appended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive privilege orproperty is claimed are dened as follows:

1. A ventilated golf bag bottom having an enclosed side section defininga hollow tube; a bottom panel extending across the bottom end of saidhollow tube; the upper end of said tube being open and connectable to agolf bag body; said bottom panel having a plurality of regions ofpositive curvature merging into one another at their radial edge regionsand extending generally from the center of said bottom panel anddownwardly and radially outwardly toward the edge of said bottom paneland the bottom of said enclosed side section; the areas generallyadjacent said enclosed side sections where said plurality of regionsmeet one another defining lowermost reservoirs over the area of saidpanel area; and openings through said bottom panel in said areas formingsaid lowermost reservoirs; said enclosed side section comprising foursides; said bottom panel lbeing rectangular; said plurality of regionsof positive curvature comprising four regions each extending from arespective side of said four sides and toward said center of said bottompanel; said lowermost reservoirs formed adjacent the corners of saidrectangular bottom panel.

2. A golf bag bottom having an enclosed side section deiining a hollowtube; a bottom panel extending across the bottom end of said hollowtube; the upper end of said tube being open and connectable to a golfbag body; said bottom panel having a plurality of regions of positivecurvature merging into one another at their radial edge regions andextending generally from the center of said bottom panel and downwardlyand radially outwardly toward the edge of said bottom panel and thebottom of said enclosed side section; said enclosed side sectioncornprising four sides and said bottom panel being rectangular; saidplurality of regions of positive curvature comprising four regions eachextending from a respective side of said four sides and toward saidcenter of said bottom panel; a plurality of ribs extending from thebottom of said bottom panel; the bottom end of said ribs terminating ina plane coplanar with the bottom of the corners of said rectangularpanel.

3. The device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said bottom panel has asubstantially uniform thickness.

4. The device as set forth in claim 3 wherein said side sections, saidbottom panel and said ribs are integral with one another.

5. The device as set forth in claim 4 which includes openings extendingthrough said bottom panel.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,849,803 3/1932 Pederson 15G-1.52,049,977 8/1936 Ross et al 220--66 FOREIGN PATENTS 101,215 11/1962lNorway. 103,425 12/1963 Norway.

DONALD F. NORTON, Primary Examiner.

FRANKLIN T. GARRET'T, Assistant Examiner.

